Steal The Covers
by Vuirneen
Summary: Story Complete. 'Feegi,' he moaned. 'I'm cold.' Well, what about me? I'm delicate and if anyone's cold here, then it's going to be me. Why is he so inconsiderate? Shonen'ai warning. Alfeegi
1. Alfeegi

**edited 20th June, 2005. **Time is a luxury I don't have at the moment. My other stories are being updated, but they're being done slowly. That's why I've been uploading short fics. There'll be more chapters to this, but I'm certain that I can keep the length on this one down.

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"'Feegi," he whined. "Stop stealing the covers!"

I turned over, muttered sleepy noises and waited for him to shut up. It could hardly be me stealing the covers, after all, he's much bigger than I am and my big toe was definitely wiggling in cold air. Just to be sure, I waggled it a bit more. It grew colder. He could safely be ignored.

I snuggled down under the sheets and tried to drop back off, but the rest of my foot followed its toe into the air. That was okay; most of me was warm. Burrowing deeper under the covers muffled his whining, but also annoyed him and he started poking my side. He was just being foolish, because I'm used to that. I can detach myself from many forms of physical annoyance, except for tickling, but my vulnerable points were well protected.

"'Feegi," he moaned again. "I'm cold."

Well so was I. My left leg had slipped out and I couldn't pretend to still be sleeping _and_ kick some blanket down to cover it. There was no choice but to face a pointless argument. The best way was with a sudden attack.

It had to be done. Rolling onto my left to face him, I shivered as my cold leg slipped under me and the warm covers moved with me. Did I say my left side? Oh.

Guilt woke me properly and even though he was a nasty shade of blue, I enjoyed my first sight of my sweet lover. Huddled over, shivering from the cold and mewling pathetically, he was still able to make the blood rush to my heart. Pretending that I was still groggy for a bit, I took the sight in for those few, extra, precious seconds, before extending the blankets over him. He dove in quickly and pressed himself against me. There was guilt, but not that much!

"Get off me!" I yelled. "You're freezing."

He clung tighter and whimpered back, "That's your fault. I woke up like an ice-block and you were wrapped so tightly in the blankets that I couldn't pry even the tiniest scrap from you."

"Leave some of the heat for me," I sobbed, as he folded one of his legs around me and rested his foot in the crock of my knee. It was torture. My beloved had turned into an ice demon and was leeching every happy ounce of warmth from my body. Seriously, I was at risk of frostbite from him. "I've a delicate constitution and could catch pneumonia."

"What about me?" he asked, his voice as cold as his fricking hands. "I've been freezing all night."  
"You're built like an ox. You'll be fine."

"Put your hands on my ass; it's gone numb."

"I'm not putting anything anywhere!" I screamed. "I still have feeling in some parts of my body and I'd like to keep it."

"It's your fault that I've no feeling in mine," he retorted, slipping his fingers into my armpits.

"Ah, ah, ah?" I said, squirming away from him. "What are you doing?"

"You're so warm there, Alfeegi," he breathed into my ear. "Thank you."

"Thank me?" I said, sliding my feet up the bed and wedging them between our bodies. "Let go of me or I'll kick you out of the bed."

"Alfeegi?" he asked, a catch in his throat, but he didn't let go.

"I'm serious," I said.

"Don't you want to snuggle," he asked, plaintively.

"One," I counted.

"Be reasonable, I'm freezing and you've been comfortable all night ..."

"Two," I continued.

"Alfeegi!" He paused and so did I. "If you really loved me ..."

"That's an automatic three." I spat out the words while kicking him away. It surprised me that I was able to dislodge him, but the cold must have numbed his muscles. "Emotional blackmail is just not on. You know how I feel about you," I continued, rolling the sheets around me and desperately trying to recapture the lovely heat he'd stolen from me. "Besides, don't you have a meeting this morning?"

"My ass is numb," he started. "I'm shivering so hard that I'm wearing down the floor and yet you're kicking me out of bed? It's not my fault; it's yours!"

"Yes, well, I'm sorry, but that's no reason to trade my comfort for yours. I'll take me ages to warm up again." It's unfortunate that he had a bad night, but there's no reason for both of us to freeze.

"Why did I lie beside your snugly-covered body all night?" he asked, waving his arms and then poking at my cocoon. "All night, Alfeegi, fully exposed to the night air. All night, because I was lying beside you."

I ducked my head under the covers and grasped firmly onto the sheets. "I'm not letting you back in," I mumbled.

"Fine!" he humphed. I heard him shuffle about and thrust my head out to see him putting his clothing back on. He pulled his trousers up and stuck his arms into his shirt, awkwardly. At least now he'd be getting warmed up in a way that didn't impact on anyone else. He muttered and cursed as he fumbled with his shoes. Fine manipulation seemed to be beyond him.

He turned to me when he was finished and I smiled at him. "See? Bet you're feeling better already?"

He glared at me and stomped over to the door, without saying a word. He jerked it open and tromped out.  
"Hey, can you close the door?" I called after him. "There's a draft coming in."

He didn't come back and I could hear his angry footsteps head off down the corridor. I had to get up myself and run across the stone floor to close it. Honestly, some people have no consideration.

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It's kind of nice to see Alfeegi victimising, instead of being victimised. I bet he would steal the covers, too.


	2. His Lover

_"I hate Alfeegi. He's so selfish. I'm still cold." _

I muttered that under my breath on my way to the Dragonlord. No-one heard, but I still got a few stares. My numbed body found it hard to hold it all together, even just walking down the corridor. I tried to stifle my shivers but they broke out, several with each step, startling maids, guards and visitors.

It was all Alfeegi's fault. He can be so thoughtless sometimes. It's like he can't see or doesn't care how his actions affect others, especially if he gets put out, even a little. How could I have wasted so much time with someone so selfish? Oh no! 

A horrendous shudder wracked my body, nearly knocking me off my feet. I'd hoped that a little righteous anger would warm me up, but it hadn't. I still couldn't feel my hands, and my ass ... it felt as though it had been removed and I'd been left with someone else's; probably defective, or why would they trade it away? It wouldn't have been so bad if I had any control over it. It followed a different pattern to the steps I took; as I moved left, it was turning right, causing an ugly waddle and muffled giggles from the passers-by. When I wiggled a cheek, was the effect seen on whoever'd gotten mine? I tell you, it's hard to walk without your own ass. They're kinda important.

I stroked it surreptiously, trying to get some feeling into it. It didn't work. I'd no feeling in my fingers either and two numbed appendages touching each other are deeply disturbing. I hoped that I'd get my own ass back quickly. If nothing else, I'm very fond of it and the new one was several sizes larger. It must have been; I couldn't fit my trousers around it. Maybe I'd picked up Alfeegi's by mistake, but he's got awful taste and the ones I was wearing looked pretty decent.

You know, I used to think that Alfeegi cared about me and he says he does; he may even apologise later, but how can someone treat their beloved so callously? 

I rebounded off a wall, still on the way to my meeting and I wondered if maybe we were just not as close as I had thought. Did we move too fast? Had I assumed that he was as deep into this relationship as I was? Was he merely a demon in dragon form, taking me and everything I could give him for granted and laughing, even now, at how much crap I took from that diminutive freak?

Damn! I was so cold! If I had to stop every few steps, I would be several hours late. Maybe if I sat down though and rested, the Dragonlord would send someone to pick me up and toss me into a volcano. That'd be nice. Even if my flesh seared and I had to have my body replaced with metal, at least I'd be warm. 

Oooh, licking flames, tickling my fingers, that'd bring the feeling back. Feeling something would be nice, because I didn't appear to be feeling anything. That's when I looked down and spotted a blood stain on my trousers. I touched it and blood came off on my fingers. It must have happened a while ago. How could I not have noticed? It still didn't hurt. I guess I should've been more careful and all that.

The stain grew bigger. The blood was still flowing. I'd be late, but I'd have to go somewhere and check that I was alright. The Dragonlord's used to people briefing him in a bloody state, but I didn't want to fall over and die until I'd finished. I still didn't know where I'd done the damage. What could cause this much bleeding?

I slipped into the closest room and closed the door behind me. It had that faint musty smell of a room that's cleaned, but not been used in a while. There wasn't a lock for the door, but I figured that I was safe enough, so I tugged at my trousers and laboriously undid the buttons that'd taken so long to do up. My fingers stumbled over and over, but I eventually managed to open my pants and pull them down to my ankles. 

The gash on my leg looked pretty ugly, but once I'd cleaned it with a handkerchief I found in my pocket, I discovered that the cut was quite shallow. Luckily, someone had left a bowl of clean water on a table and as I rinsed out the handkerchief, I realised that it was one of Alfeegi's favourites. I found a second one in the other pocket. Maybe these were his trousers after all.

I used the clean one to bandage the wound. I couldn't tie it properly; my fingers had forgotten how, so I wrapped it around and tucked the ends in. I hoped that it'd hold until after I'd talked to the Dragonlord. 

I left the dirty handkerchief in the bowl. If Alfeegi really wanted it, then he could go and find it. I was under no obligation to return it too him. 

Pulling back up the trousers, I felt that strange sensation again; that my frozen flesh would be pulled with the cloth, the upper layer of skin scraped off. From what I could tell, my numb body survived the danger. I closed my eyes and despaired over whether my mind was as feeble as the rest of me. Was my icy backbone sending freezing slivers to kill my brain? Retying the pants, I then realised that the leg floated an inch above my sock. When this meeting was over, I was going back to my room, an Alfeegi-free zone and I'd lock the door and curl up under the covers and never share them with anyone ever again!


	3. Ruwalk

Only two chapters in and there's a possible plot hole. Do I need to rewrite it already? Thanks for pointing it out, Animegoil. I'll need to think about this. Maybe I should run it past a beta-reader. Then again, maybe you're just from a warmer part of the world than me. Have you ever slept in the sitting room, when there were guests visiting and woke up in the middle of the night, freezing because the fire's died down and most of the heat's gone out of the room?  
From what I've seen, castles are cold places; they were built for defence, not comfort. Stone is not a great insulator; brick houses, (which are warmer than stone) are built in two layers, with a gap in between for insulating foam. Stone castles had no insulation, even though the outer walls were massively thick. Castle rooms were kept warm by the fires in their grates; fires which died down and went out during the night. Not to mention the complete lack of draught-proofing. Remember, central heating was a Roman invention and is not evident in _Dragon Knights_. Castles can be cold indeed.

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"He looks terrible," I said, watching him stagger past. "Must have been some night."  
"Who does?" asked Cernozura. We'd just met in the corridor and I stopped to chat to her, as always.  
"Look at me ... now over my shoulder, the left one," I instructed, trying to be subtle about it. "Don't laugh," I said as giggles spilled out from her mouth. "I was good enough to keep them in, you should try too. The dignity of the Dragon tribe seems to be left with us."

My pompous tone amused her as much as the poor drunk did. It was good to see her smile. Her entire face changed and you couldn't help but join in.

"He's trying so hard to hide it," she cried. "Poor guy, I haven't seen shakes that bad since ... since the Dragonlord's last birthday party.  
"Nu-ah," I replied. "You didn't see Alfeegi the first time he read one of Kai-Stern's expense reports."  
"What?" she asked, eyes wide and mouth dropping open.

I leaned forward until I was just at her level. This was a good story and I liked telling it.

"He used to just sign them, without reading a word. Kai-Stern got used to it and, well, put rather too much down to expenses. The first time Alfeegi actually read through one, ooh, Kai'd been getting away with murder for fourteen years. I think there were bets laid on how long it'd be until Alfeegi caught on."  
"So who won?" she asked.  
"It wasn't me," I sighed. "I was sure that he'd crack before the first year was up."

That rare grin peeked out again. She used to smile a lot more and I missed it. It faded when she dared a furtive peek at our friend. My mood faded with her.

"I wonder what he was trying to forget?" she asked.  
"Huh?" I was thrown for a loop. I mean, I was still trying to think of other pithy remarks that would use his misfortune for my benefit. I had been so busy and stressed and all I wanted to do was relax, joke and enjoy having a bit of attention; a bit of her attention, all to myself.

"When anyone gets that deep into their cups, there's usually a reason," she said, lines creasing her forehead.

There's a depth to Cernozura. She doesn't take the easy path and just laugh at what appears to be an amusing situation. She always probes the currents running underneath, in an attempt to understand why something is the way it is. It could be something to do with having to clean up afterwards, but it's annoying when you're trying to impress her.

"Maybe it's because of a love affair gone tragically wrong?" I offered, trying to get back to the lighter tone of our early conversation. She didn't join me, frowning instead and turning aside. It seemed that recently, no matter how long we talked, we didn't manage to connect. Was there always this distance between us?

"Perhaps the Dragonlord has something planned for him, some dangerous mission," she pondered.

I didn't say anything. I knew exactly what was ahead of him. It's really not surprising that he tried to drown his sorrows.

"It's just rare to see him in such a state," she continued.  
"Maybe he usually just hides it better," I interrupted her. That's not good. You never interrupt someone when they're speaking. That's rule one. Damn.

"I've changed my mind," she said suddenly, an impish grin reappearing. "He's not the type to drink to forget."  
"You think he drank to celebrate?" I offered, relieved that the tone was getting goofy once more.

I often thought of myself as the object of desire for the castle. Lykouleon and I ... well, we'd lots of jokes about that when we were younger. Now he's married and I'm not. We don't joke about how attractive we are anymore. Sometimes I wonder if my allure has faded. I'd often hoped that I was the one who put that smile on her lips. It would mean that I wasn't a joke myself.

"Almost certainly," she said, leaning in confidentially, for the first time since we met. I waited for that delicate hand to reach out to mine.  
"Who do you think it was?" I asked, getting into position.  
"Hmm," she mumbled, eyes alive with mischief.  
"I know," I said, trying to think of the most unlikely suspect. "Alfeegi!"  
She laughed out loud. "Goodness no!"  
"Really?" I asked, leaning in, my nose inches from her own and then whispering conspiratorially, "Is he yours?"

She pulled back, laughing again, but without touching me. Something seems to have changed. I wonder if it's me?

"I wouldn't sleep with Alfeegi," she laughed.  
"Why-ever not?" I asked, my eyebrow arched in mock suspicion.  
"He steals the covers."

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Still trying to improve. If you've anything to point out that can help, please let me know.


	4. Tetheus

I was still cold and quite stiff too, in some places. My arm and right toe had been completely exposed last night, but my beloved was sleeping like an angel and I was afraid that if I'd moved, that intense creature would wake and I'd have lost a special moment: our first night; a feeling of bliss and doubt.

I tried flexing my muscles to get the warm blood flowing through the chilled parts of my body. Luckily, I have good circulation. I'd even be able to make a plausible signature soon.

I stopped once I saw them. I didn't call out or make my presence known. It may not have been the right thing to do; watching two other people in a private moment. I'm sure that it's especially wrong when you know that one has a crush on the other a mile wide and as heavy as the castle.

Even though it hurt I had to stay, to watch it all over again.

Looking at them, at how easy it came to them, I remembered the painful moments when I first started to reach out. That empathic "thank you" where a meaningful gaze was added: the one that said "I love you". I didn't blurt that out, no, I do have some tact. I understand how this game is supposed to be played. I've seen others do it. I've always watched others mingle, talk and fall in love. So I tried it myself. I tried really hard, to do it the way everyone else did, a step at a time.

Instead, I stayed a little longer, a little past the necessary conversation and onto books and art. I smiled once; it may have been a slight twinge of the lips, maybe no-one noticed, but it was there. It grew larger, over time, but stayed rare. That way, the smile was special. I didn't want it to appear forced - it wasn't forced; I meant it. I brought presents, small things, "I was there anyway and I knew that you liked these, so I got one. Pleasant little thing, isn't it?" They got more extravagant over time, but never over-bearing. Thoughtful, that was the key. Thoughtful and explainable as just a friendly gesture. Finally, we went to the theatre and while there, I made it obvious that it was a date. Small steps, little steps, the same steps that everyone else followed, until finally, I could think "I love you". Finally, I could say "I love you", but not while both of us were awake.

To survive, you have to armour-plate your heart.

In their own little world, Cernozura and Ruwalk chatted on and on. What was there so much to talk about? Try as I might, I couldn't fill in the words from the way their lips moved. I wondered if they'd kept it innocent, or if he was flirting a little too much with her. Was she pouring on the charm or suggesting intimacies of the type I'd enjoyed that morning? Was Ruwalk flushed from one conquest and enticing another?

And did he just flex a muscle? He did, didn't he? Did he just flex his arm and ask her to touch it? Did he?

I moved to get a better angle. Flirting couples are inconsiderate. You'd think that two people who are oblivious to the rest of the world wouldn't hide what they were doing quite so much. I found a better spot in time to realise that the muscle flex was innocent. It looked like he'd a cramp or something. Disappointment and relief struggled with each other. Sometimes, I don't know if I want to lose for their benefit and have just have the final answer: You're a nice guy, but you're simply not good enough. While I continue to play, I will always have that burning piece of probable loss.

A chill flared up from my arm, the strong one that had escaped the covers and wrapped my sleeping love last night. What was a cosy bed for one, had scarce coverage for two. I decided to ask housekeeping for some larger blankets to cover my bed and keep my big toe warm, although it would feel empty if my fears were being realised.

So, I watched them as I've always watched them; desperately wishing that one of the open people standing there was me.

They got ever more animated and relaxed and it was a joy to see. I don't think I've ever been that comfortable, that easy in another's presence. Is there a trick to it? Is there a way for me to learn that graceful ease? Would it make me as desirable as ...

There's a look, I don't know if you've experienced it, but basically you look down, bow your head and then look right at someone; just your eyes move. That look, it's devastating and it was absent. I've seen Ruwalk use it on Cernozura and vice-versa for the past twenty years. Twenty years and overnight it's gone! Overnight?

Then I realised that though the couple were being friendly and were obviously having fun talking, the tell-tale signs that squeezed my heart had all vanished. There was no fake laughter, fluttering glances and not once did she touch him. Could it be that she was finally, really, all mine?

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Still trying to improve. If you've anything to point out that can help, please let me know.

Leath céid. Not the fiftieth one being written, but the fiftieth published.

This chapter was supposed to follow Cernozura, after she said goodbye to Ruwalk. The original intention was that the scenes would shift from person to person as they met each other in the course of their day. If I'd done that, then I wouldn't have been able to write this.

Thanks to: CrimsonRedWolf, aquajogger, DragonessFei, Hikari and Koi, Yuki ni Kanashii Ryuu, Animegoil, vixenrath, Cairnsy, angstluver and famin for letting me know what they think.

Still trying to improve. If you've anything to point out that can help, please let me know.


	5. Lykouleon

Tetheus was late. I breathed a sigh of relief when I'd counted off ten minutes. That's long enough to wait for anyone when you're busy and I'm happy for any excuse to put off a security brief. I don't need to know most of the detail that he gives me; nothing really changes in the castle, yet he takes it so seriously, that I can't explain to him that all I need to know about is any divergence from normality, or potential problems. Who really cares if Hyouga is being replaced by Fortran for two days at the reservoir? 

A fresh breeze carried the scent of spring into my study. I eyed the window and wondered if it was big enough for me to fit through and escape. Then I stood up, the way I have to stand up to Tetheus and say that I'm just not interested. I paced a bit before adding Alfeegi to the list. Maybe not on the same day, though. Another pace reminded me that they're not the only ones: Ruwalk does it too. All three swamp me with unimportant things and dither over the important ones. My job should involve important issues, or at least the entertaining ones. Good old Kai, his briefs are always interesting, if not relevant; they give me the urge to leave the castle and experience them for myself.

I looked out that window and my gaze flew to the walls surrounding the grounds. Maybe I could head off on a diplomatic mission. Rath could come with me. It's about time that he leaned that part of our lives.

I stood there a while longer, watching the castle urchins in a brief bout of play on the grass, trying to put several things out of my mind, such as the unpleasant business that I'd already had to deal with that morning. Things like that really put the small stuff into perspective. Poor guy, he took the news badly; started trembling as soon as he caught wind of what I was suggesting. He's very quick. I hate to send him, but he's the best choice and these are the choices that I have to make.

A glance at the clock revealed that I'd been standing there long enough and it was time to go. Today I would be free of meaningless drivel, as long as Tetheus didn't catch me.

A cross-wind caught me when I opened the door. The castle was falling to pieces if there were draughts this strong. I hoped that Cernozura had noticed and was dealing with it. I would have to mention it the next time I saw Alfeegi and ask him to increase the maintenance budget. We might be able to use some money that had been allocated for weapons. Tetheus had expected a rise in the price of iron, but when a new mine opened unexpectedly, the price fell. I wasn't sure how much the surplus was, but every penny would go toward stone-masons.

My back twinged when I stepped fully out of the comfy study. I wondered if I'd pulled something, or if it was the way I had slept the night before. If I didn't recover too quickly, it would give me ammunition to use against Raseleane. Our habitual fight over the covers had turned into our habitual tussle under them. I don't usually mind, in fact I find it quite enjoyable, but it is difficult to keep the romantic fever going when your bottom is freezing: muscles seize up; you get a cramp and suddenly it's all gone horribly wrong and it's all your fault.

We never have this problem when we sleep in my bed. It's much bigger; there's plenty of room to stretch out and stay warm; there's no need to cling together and I wake up so rested. I could stay there that night, if my ailment lingered, although it's an empty place without Raseleane; far too big and ridiculous for one. I get lost in it when she's away. It's hard to sleep without a heavy lump on my chest, cutting off my breathing. That helps me drop right off.

It's strange that the most powerful man in Draqueen can't get a blanket big enough to cover himself and his wife at night. We always seem to huddle up and yet only just get all of our appendages under the sheets. Every night in her bed, we risk frost-bite - I remember waking up one winter night, so cold that I was numb and turning over to see herself wrapped in layer after layer of blanket. She'd rolled over so many times in her sleep that she'd caught the sheets and they'd wound around her. If she hadn't panicked and thought that she was trapped when I woke her up, I would have gotten upset. Extracting her was difficult. I laughed a lot and her pride was hurt. She struck me with one of her weak punches; I fell over; she pounced; her lower body was still trapped and somehow her struggles dislodged her, the blankets and brought the mattress down on top of us. Since we were already sweaty and too hyped up to sleep, we built a tent and cavorted, before remaking our bed on the floor.

A smile lit my face and my step grew lighter. My back suddenly didn't twinge so painfully. It's funny that one wonderful memory can ease your heart.

It was wonderful, but sometimes a man just wants to sleep. Women don't seem to understand that. If you go to bed and fall asleep they think that they've failed. What's wrong with a snooze? Making love is a great thing, but rest when you're tired...

Sure, she always manages to get me excited, but just once I'd like to resist her and prove that sleeping together can be just as caring as making love.

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I'm sorry for any confusion caused with the last chapter. I must be too close to the fic to notice it. If you can point out the problem areas, I'll rewrite those bits.

To recap, Tetheus and Alfeegi are not a couple. They were a couple that I was toying with when I started to write this story, but they're not together for this fic. Tetheus loves Cernozura and Alfeegi loves someone else.

Still trying to improve. If you've anything to point out that can help, please let me know.

Thanks to famin, vixenrath and aquajogger for your input on the last chapter.


	6. Raseleane

It always seems that Lykouleon's just left the bed, when I notice the mid-morning sun streaming in through the window. That's strange, because it's always dark when he gets up; his fumbling bumps and clatters never fail to wake me. He tries so hard not to disturb me, but just as he reaches the door I call out, "have a good day, my love."

My window acts as a sundial. Light hits the flowers on the sill at eight, though not in winter and on a spring day the light tickles my nose at eleven. It is the most insistent kind of clock. When it strikes, I can't slip off for even the briefest doze.

That doesn't mean that I get up straight away, of course. It's nice to lie in the bed, while the sheets are still messed and smell of Lykouleon.

That morning, I got up late. It was a lazy sort of day; I thought that I'd pick flowers in the garden and arrange them, or maybe chain them together. There was something that had to be done first, though and I set myself the dire task of making the bed. I felt very proud as I tucked down the final scrap of blanket, patted the tricky corner and leaned back, before the sun reached its highest point in the sky, to find a musky scent tickling my nose: Lykouleon had snuck in. Warm arms surrounded me and I revelled in the embrace of my beloved. We swayed back and forth, his nose buried in my hair, until the inevitable questions started.

"What were you doing?" he asked in a sing-song voice, still waving back and forth.

"Making the bed," I answered, rolling my bottom slightly into his crotch as we moved.

"Why do you sound so proud of yourself?" he sang, taking nibbling kisses from my neck.

"I was trying really hard to get a perfect finish on the bedclothes," came my soft reply. "The one that the household staff manage and I think that I've finally gotten the knack."

"And why would you ever need to be able to do that?" he continued, his tongue lapping the sensitive parts of my neck with every free breath.

"A ... queen should not be so high and mighty that she can't take care of herself," I said pompously, nearly losing the game. My weak point is my neck. It seems to be directly connected to my knees, which were trembling enough to turn milk. Even worse, tiny shivers often break off and affect my brain. It's unfair that he has such an advantage.

"Really?" he said, squeezing me tightly.

"Really," I answered, clasping his arms and tipping my head onto his shoulder, which took my neck out of reach.

"So it's not actually because you've remade the bed with a smaller set of sheets, then?" he asked blandly.

Well, he was bound to figure it out eventually.

In my defence, the games I play serve a greater purpose, although that purpose may seem selfish to some; it's the most important thing in my live. Answer me: how many relationships do you know of that last past that first one hundred years? Doesn't the Dragonlord deserve one? Dragons have long lives and most couples seem to stay together out of habit. That's not what I want. I want to be loved. I want to be needed. I want to look over and know that part of my soul is carried in my husband's body. The only way to achieve that connection is to work on your relationship; to spend time together, no matter how many other things take your attention. It's harder the busier you are, but affection, attention, devotion... they need work.

My husband is a busy man. In the early days of our marriage he worked himself to the bone and was tired and stressed. I didn't have much to do and grew a bit resentful of the time he devoted to other things. I didn't want to seem greedy, so I put up with it. After a talk with Alfeegi, we figured out how things should change. Our relationship should be one of the good and enjoyable things in Lykouleon's life; it should be a source of strength and renewal and not a burden, to either of us. He needed to learn about me, as much as I needed to learn about him and we needed to reveal our innards to each other. So things changed. We talked, went out together to plays and concerts and did things we didn't do when we were courting. Slowly, this wonderful foundation was built.

Still, getting enough of his time is hard. It seems that most of our time together is spent with one or the other of us asleep and we have to work hard for those waking moments. The Castle staff know when we've spent a night together and they feel justified in stealing him from me. They don't know that I was fast asleep when he came in and only noticed that he was there the following morning. If I'm lucky, I wake before he does and get in a few illicit hugs. Lykouleon is a man who places others first. If I'm in bed when he comes to me, he won't wake me. Repeated protestations still haven't managed to break him of it. If I try to wait up for him, I get cranky and bored, or fall asleep.

Eventually though, I hit upon the perfect solution. One warm, spring night, I kicked off the covers in my sleep and woke up in his arms. We were tangled together and though I'd gotten a little cold, the comfort from his body-heat was wonderful. The following day I took off some of the blankets and it happened again. Of course, all of that hugging happened when we were asleep and as soon as he woke up, he pulled on an extra cover, turned over and dropped off.

That's when I came up with the idea of a putting a smaller blanket on the bed. I fall asleep, comfortably, when my head hits the pillow. Later that night Lykouleon gets into bed, pulls the covers towards himself, pulls them off me, generally shifts and struggles and I wake up. I tug the blankets back, we get pulled together, one thing leads to another... In the morning, once he's gone, I replace the covers. I could let the maids in on it, but I find it adds a frisson of excitement when I do it all myself. Now that he's figured it out, I'll have to think of something else.

"I love you, Lykouleon," I whispered, forcing him to listen harder. "I know your strengths and your weaknesses and how to keep you interested."

"Do you really think that you have to trick me to keep me in love with you?" He spoke sternly, an odd catch in his throat.

"No, I know that you adore me," I said, turning in his embrace. He relaxed his grip, just enough for me to face him and then he clasped me tightly again. I stroked his face, pausing at the little features I love the most. "And I know that you're a very intelligent man."

"So," he said, the half-gasp gone from his silken tones, "you're challenging me?"

"It's not really a challenge," I claimed, nudging his nose with my own. "You can't win. Every scrap of attention that I want from you, I get."

"Aha?" his ego exclaimed, his mouth wide open. I stifled a giggle. Oh, I know my beloved well.

"There's a simple luxury I have that you don't." I nuzzled his cheek, his ear, his neck and breathed heavily while I taunted him.

"Mmmm hmmm?" he murmured, reduced to meaningless noises. Naturally I didn't respond until his hands finished caressing my behind and his lips lifted long enough to pant "what's that?"

"Why it's time, my dear Dragonlord." I pushed his face away and started placing a few kisses of my own on soft flesh. "You see, unlike you, I don't run a country. And unlike you, everyone isn't clamouring for my attention. And unlike you, I don't have to juggle six or seven important issues as well as countless small ones. And unlike you, when I bump into Alfeegi, or Ruwalk, that doesn't automatically mean that I'm getting extra work to do. And unlike you, when I'm plotting something big, everyone tends to pitch in, rather than frustrate my efforts. "

I nibbled his ear and was rewarded with shivers erupting throughout his body.

"You see, although I have many friends and duties, the most important thing in my world is you and so, when I trick you, I can devote uninterrupted time to planning, whether it takes hours, days or weeks. I can spend a hundred times your effort on my scheming. So you see, you can't win."

"I should just give in, then?" he murmured, squeezing my buttocks.

"It would be for the best," I replied, tugging at his shirt.

There's nothing as devious as an idle woman with a sexy husband and the riches of a kingdom at her disposal. I think it's time to get new beds for both of us. I hear that the springs have gone in Alfeegi's and he's throwing it out...

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Still trying to improve. If you've anything to point out that can help, please let me know.

Hey, Eikou. The series has a definite end. There's only so much that you can write about cover theft. -'

And Aquajogger, are there any other _Dragon Knights' _archives?

Thanks to famin, Vixenrath, Aquajogger and Eikou for reading.


	7. Alfeegi again

I limped down the corridor - my shoes were pinching my feet and I didn't know why. I briefly wondered if someone had slipped into my room and replaced them with a pair a half size smaller. Lifting up a trouser leg, I glanced at the shoe and realised that my socks were mauve. I never wear purple socks. A surreptitious touch revealed that they were also extra chunky - just like his. How could I have put on his socks and not have noticed? Even when he's not around he causes problems. 

I tramped up to the guards on duty at the Great Hall and snapped at them, "where's the Dragonlord?"

The one on the left - they're completely interchangeable - straightened up and barked out a reply. "Sir, he's with the lady, Raseleane, sir!"

That meant that I couldn't disturb them, which gained Lefty a glare, before I stomped off again. Asking after Lykouleon was a habit, but I really wanted to talk to Raseleane. I just needed to complain to someone about how selfish that... that brat was and she gives the best ear.

I couldn't talk to Ruwalk, or Tetheus. Cernozura was a possibility, but she could mention it in her diary and I know that Thatz reads it: he tells everyone the juicy bits. I would talk it over with Kai-Stern, but he'd make fun of me and I'd get angry and frustrated and end up bringing myself down. I want to feel better, not worse.

Raseleane, why'd you have to be busy?

My feet led me around the castle until Kai-Stern bumped into me on the stairs. He held a bundle of clean clothing and a resigned expression on his face. It's never polite to pick at people when they're down, but sometimes it makes you feel better and that's when they're less inclined to fight back.

"Off on holiday?" I said in a jaunty fashion.

He sighed and replied softly, "I never get to stay long, do I?"

Then he fixed me with sad, white eyes and I felt really bad about attempting to take my frustrations out on him.

"Still, you'll get some peace once I'm gone."

That hurt. I complain about him, a lot, but that's when he returns, not when he leaves! In fact, him leaving means that another superbly written fictional account of his journey will end up on my desk, full of the wonders of where-ever he's been to, heavy on local colour and light on the details of his mission.

"Sometimes I wish that I wasn't so good at my job that they couldn't do without me for even a single day," I responded sweetly. Yes it was petty. That's my response mechanism. I never scored in charming class: Ruwalk sweeps past me on charisma; and Kai-Stern gets to do whatever he wants, lording about the country, free as a bird and spending the kingdom's money as though he was the Dragonlord. I've only been given one diplomatic mission in all my time as a Dragon Officer. It was to Luwa and it rained the entire time.

I left while the last bit of spare sympathy I had was still hiding. The rest was too busy feeling sorry for me to waste any time on him. He got to travel the world. I was stuck in this cold and draughty castle.

After a meaningless trip around the castle I ended up back in my room, lying on my bed and thinking about my lover. Thoughts and memories swam around and around: one of many days in the gardens when neither of us were sure about the other's intentions; the moment where I first realised that I loved him; trapped under a tree during a rainstorm that turned thundery, so we had to flee, wet and complaining back to the castle; a drunken kiss during a festival; a vicious fight during a crisis; a night spent looking at his chest rise and fall.

I wondered what that meant. I wasn't the sort to fantasise about my lovers, since whenever I thought of them, I went to them. I pulled my pillow from its nest beneath the covers - undoing someone's careful work - held it tightly and continued to ponder. We hadn't been together long, but as the sun faltered in the sky, I realised the last time I'd spent so long reliving a liaison: it was how I felt the day before I broke up with Ruwalk. It was the moment where you realise that your lives aren't meant to be spent together. It's when you realise that the passion you felt, the flutter in your stomach, was only temporary. It's when you realise that you want someone else; that your love is just not quite good enough.

The bliss and passion had faded. We'd started to go out of our way to spend time alone, time apart. We'd dropped the secret code we'd used in front of others - we just didn't bother to mouth "I love you", when we thought no-one else was watching. We didn't stay up late watching the stars. The endless kisses had turned into brief pecks. There were dead flowers in my bedroom vase.

He'd never been that attentive anyway. Ruwalk brought more presents. He also woke me with a smile and never an argument. He certainly smelled better and he never stole my clothes. We got bored of each other, though. Cernozura liked playing with my hair and gave wonderful back-rubs. She was a little too driven - we rarely spent time together and I got snitty about it and said goodbye.

I pulled the blanket off my bed and draped it around me. The dead flowers on my windowsill mocked me and I huddled further under the warm wool that still held his scent. When he'd given me the flowers, he hadn't said anything, just smiled and filled the vase halfway. Why was that again? I noticed the jug of water on my stand and remembered that it was mostly empty. I'd promised to put more water in the vase when the jug was refilled that night.

I'd forgotten.

He wasn't perfect. He didn't shower me with compliments, or presents. He wasn't the greatest lover I'd ever had and he certainly wasn't the sweetest guy I'd ever gone out with, but he was honest with me. I was relaxed in his presence; when I was with him, I felt the stress of my life start to melt away, not all of it, but some.

No, he wasn't perfect, but neither was I, not by a long shot. He was real and he was good for me, which may be far better. I wasn't ready for our love to be past tense. If I didn't want this precious ball to drop, I had to act fast and do something hard. I had to apologise and explain that I was crazy.

One of the things I do know is that when you make a decision like that, you have to keep the momentum going. I jumped up so quickly that the squeak from my bed-springs could be heard throughout the wing. I ran to the door and found that my love was already there. He was empty handed: no gifts, no flowers, no letters to proffer, but that didn't matter; I wasn't waiting for him to speak.

"You know that I'm selfish, petty, jealous, small-minded, inflexible, whiney, self-centred, overly-cognisant of other people's faults and under-cognisant of my own. I like to complain. I don't feel as though I'm alive if I'm not stressed. I over-react to everything and I bad-mouth you to whoever will listen."

He tried to interrupt, but I stopped his lips by tenderly placing a finger on them. It's not often that I'm honest. I admire it in him, but I still haven't quite grasped the thorn of admitting my inadequacies. If he managed to stop me at my first attempt there wouldn't be a second.

"I'm not going to change."

I gave him a moment to deal with that before continuing.

"It's all part of who I am. There's some good in there too, I'm sure. You did say that you loved me, so there must be something that draws you back, unless you've a perversion that we haven't discussed yet. I'm a real person and sometimes I'll drive you round the bend, but I'm willing to talk about it. And I'm even willing to admit when I'm wrong. Eventually."

"I'm sorry about last night, but I'm not used to sharing space with anyone else and I got grouchy. My room used to be in the coldest part of the castle and I was never able to sleep unless I rolled up like that. It's a habit that will be hard to break, but I'm going to. You'll have to be patient with me."

I pulled my finger away and his lips parted.

"That's all true, White Dragon Officer," he said, looking down, looking left, looking right and above my face, but not at it. "I guess that you need to be held a little more securely as you sleep. Perhaps if I entangle myself enough in your limbs tonight, you'll be warm enough so that you won't rip the blankets from my muscular body."

I grabbed his head and kissed him as though I hadn't already tasted every inch of his lips. When I released him, white eyes laughed at me and I didn't care.

He could always be paid back with a relapse if he got obnoxious.

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Thanks angstluver, aquajogger (What made you think it was over?), famin and special thanks to vixenrath.

Other archives I've found are mediaminer and ficwad, although ficwad's new and is almost empty. This site is the biggest.

This story's finished so there'll be a new one coming soon: DKS. I haven't forgotten about the Quest series either - I'm nearly past my block.


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